diff --git a/internal/actions/update.go b/internal/actions/update.go
index 89aa245..5b2a2fd 100644
--- a/internal/actions/update.go
+++ b/internal/actions/update.go
@@ -35,22 +35,50 @@ func Update(client container.Client, params types.UpdateParams) error {
 		containers[i].Stale = stale
 	}
 
-	containers, err = sorter.SortByDependencies(containers)
+	checkDependencies(containers)
+
+	var dependency_sorted_graphs [][]container.Container
+
+	undirected_nodes := make(map[string][]string)
+	for i:= 0; i < len(containers); i++ {
+		undirected_nodes[containers[i].Name()] = containers[i].Links()
+	}
+
+	for i:= 0; i< len(containers); i++ {
+		for j:=0; j < len(containers[i].Links()); j++ {
+			undirected_nodes[containers[i].Links()[j]] = append(undirected_nodes[containers[i].Links()[j]], containers[i].Name())
+		}
+	}
+
+	dependency_sorted_graphs, err = sorter.SortByDependencies(containers,undirected_nodes)
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	checkDependencies(containers)
-
 	if params.MonitorOnly {
 		if params.LifecycleHooks {
 			lifecycle.ExecutePostChecks(client, params)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
+	//shared map for independent and linked update
+	imageIDs := make(map[string]bool)
+
+	//Use ordered start and stop for each independent set of containers
+	for _, dependency_graph:= range dependency_sorted_graphs {
+		stopContainersInReversedOrder(dependency_graph, client, params)
+		restartContainersInSortedOrder(dependency_graph, client, params, imageIDs)
+	}
 
-	stopContainersInReversedOrder(containers, client, params)
-	restartContainersInSortedOrder(containers, client, params)
+	//clean up outside after containers updated
+	if params.Cleanup {
+		for imageID := range imageIDs {
+			if err := client.RemoveImageByID(imageID); err != nil {
+				log.Error(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	if params.LifecycleHooks {
 		lifecycle.ExecutePostChecks(client, params)
@@ -86,9 +114,7 @@ func stopStaleContainer(container container.Container, client container.Client,
 	}
 }
 
-func restartContainersInSortedOrder(containers []container.Container, client container.Client, params types.UpdateParams) {
-	imageIDs := make(map[string]bool)
-
+func restartContainersInSortedOrder(containers []container.Container, client container.Client, params types.UpdateParams, imageIDs map[string]bool) {
 	for _, container := range containers {
 		if !container.Stale {
 			continue
@@ -96,13 +122,6 @@ func restartContainersInSortedOrder(containers []container.Container, client con
 		restartStaleContainer(container, client, params)
 		imageIDs[container.ImageID()] = true
 	}
-	if params.Cleanup {
-		for imageID := range imageIDs {
-			if err := client.RemoveImageByID(imageID); err != nil {
-				log.Error(err)
-			}
-		}
-	}
 }
 
 func restartStaleContainer(container container.Container, client container.Client, params types.UpdateParams) {
@@ -144,3 +163,12 @@ func checkDependencies(containers []container.Container) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func Find(links []string, target string) bool {
+	for i:=0; i < len(links); i++{
+		if links[i] == target{
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/pkg/sorter/sort.go b/pkg/sorter/sort.go
index 1e27f1b..15bcc1e 100644
--- a/pkg/sorter/sort.go
+++ b/pkg/sorter/sort.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package sorter
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/containrrr/watchtower/pkg/container"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -31,26 +30,29 @@ func (c ByCreated) Less(i, j int) bool {
 
 // SortByDependencies will sort the list of containers taking into account any
 // links between containers. Container with no outgoing links will be sorted to
-// the front of the list while containers with links will be sorted after all
-// of their dependencies. This sort order ensures that linked containers can
-// be started in the correct order.
-func SortByDependencies(containers []container.Container) ([]container.Container, error) {
+// the front of their dependency list while containers without links will be
+// placed into their own list.This sort order ensures that linked containers can
+// be started in the correct order as well as separate independent sets of linked
+// containers from each other.
+func SortByDependencies(containers []container.Container, undirected_nodes map[string][]string) ([][]container.Container, error) {
 	sorter := dependencySorter{}
-	return sorter.Sort(containers)
+	return sorter.Sort(containers,undirected_nodes)
 }
 
 type dependencySorter struct {
 	unvisited []container.Container
 	marked    map[string]bool
-	sorted    []container.Container
+	sorted    [][]container.Container
 }
 
-func (ds *dependencySorter) Sort(containers []container.Container) ([]container.Container, error) {
+func (ds *dependencySorter) Sort(containers []container.Container, undirected_nodes map[string][]string) ([][]container.Container, error) {
 	ds.unvisited = containers
 	ds.marked = map[string]bool{}
 
 	for len(ds.unvisited) > 0 {
-		if err := ds.visit(ds.unvisited[0]); err != nil {
+		linked_graph := make([]container.Container,0,0)
+		ds.sorted = append(ds.sorted,linked_graph)
+		if err := ds.visit(ds.unvisited[0],undirected_nodes); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -58,20 +60,20 @@ func (ds *dependencySorter) Sort(containers []container.Container) ([]container.
 	return ds.sorted, nil
 }
 
-func (ds *dependencySorter) visit(c container.Container) error {
+func (ds *dependencySorter) visit(c container.Container, undirected_nodes map[string][]string) error {
 
 	if _, ok := ds.marked[c.Name()]; ok {
-		return fmt.Errorf("circular reference to %s", c.Name())
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	// Mark any visited node so that circular references can be detected
+	// Mark any visited node so that we don't visit it again
 	ds.marked[c.Name()] = true
 	defer delete(ds.marked, c.Name())
 
 	// Recursively visit links
-	for _, linkName := range c.Links() {
+	for _, linkName := range undirected_nodes[c.Name()] {
 		if linkedContainer := ds.findUnvisited(linkName); linkedContainer != nil {
-			if err := ds.visit(*linkedContainer); err != nil {
+			if err := ds.visit(*linkedContainer,undirected_nodes); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ func (ds *dependencySorter) visit(c container.Container) error {
 
 	// Move container from unvisited to sorted
 	ds.removeUnvisited(c)
-	ds.sorted = append(ds.sorted, c)
+	ds.sorted[len(ds.sorted)-1] = append(ds.sorted[len(ds.sorted)-1], c)
 
 	return nil
 }